You will need a licence for your property if it meets the following criteria:

Mandatory HMO Licensing

A property requires a mandatory HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) licence if:

• It is occupied by five or more people, forming two or more households.

Exemptions apply to certain properties, such as Section 257 HMOs, which are buildings converted into self-contained flats that do not meet the Building Regulations 1991 (or subsequent regulations) or have not been retrospectively upgraded to comply, provided less than two-thirds of the flats are owner-occupied. Purpose-built flats in blocks of three or more self-contained flats are also exempt. However, these rental units will require a licence under the upcoming Selective Licensing Scheme (PDF, 217.09 KB), which launches on 6 April 2025.

Additional HMO Licensing

Our new Additional Licensing Scheme (PDF, 258.21 KB) was launched on 9 January 2025 and will run for five years following its approval by the Council’s Cabinet on 23 July 2024.

A property requires an additional licence if:

• It is an HMO occupied by three or four people, forming two or more households, and is not already covered under mandatory licensing.

For more details, read the public notice of designation for additional licensing.

Selective Licensing

A new Selective Licensing Scheme will come into effect on 6 April 2025, covering most privately rented properties across three targeted designation areas in the borough. This scheme will run for five years, replacing the previous initiative, which ended in summer 2024.

A property requires a selective licence if:

• It is a privately rented property occupied by a single household.

This decision follows a significant change in legislation announced in the English Devolution White Paper, which allows councils to implement larger licensing schemes without seeking government approval. Previously, the council required authorisation from the Secretary of State to implement schemes covering more than 20% of the borough. However, the new general approval, effective from 23 December 2024, enables councils to introduce schemes of any size independently.

For more details, read the public notice of designation for selective licensing.